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Issue 19 - 10 February 2006 Introduction Welcome to Issue 19 of HOS@PCC Our aim is to continue to keep you fully informed on the implementation of the new Home Oxygen Service from 1 February 2006 and to ensure that we help keep the transition period as smooth as possible. We will continue to share best practice and pass on your views, experiences and questions. If you have any feedback please contact us at hos.newsletter@pcconline.info Please feel free to forward this email to any colleague you think might be interested in the information it contains. Anyone wishing to subscribe may do so. Subscribing & unsubscribing Click here to subscribe to receive your own copy of this newsletter. Click here to unsubscribe yourself from this newsletter. Previous Issues If you have missed any previous issues click here. News and information In this issue … THANK YOU KEEPING YOU INFORMED FP10 CLARIFICATION HOOF COMPLETION Key deadlines Key documents including FAQs Key links THANK YOU PCTs must be congratulated for handling the very considerable challenges that have arisen since 1 February with such professionalism, patience and efficiency. The enormous amount of hard work that has been put in since the emergency bulletins were issued earlier this week is beginning to pay dividends. Although there is a considerable way to go both PCTs and suppliers are reporting that there have been a significant drop in the numbers of enquiries being made and the number of HOOFs coming through the system. We are enormously grateful to the PSNC, NPA and community pharmacists for their support and willingness to continue to work alongside the NHS and help patients through the next weeks. It should be noted that suppliers have been working round the clock to try and overcome these initial early difficulties and although we are aware that there have been severe problems in some areas and unacceptable levels of call handling we have also had reports of excellent service and very happy patients in others. Reports of inappropriate - and, in some cases, unacceptable - call handling have been taken up with suppliers and are being addressed as a matter of urgency. Please keep up the good work. KEEPING YOU INFORMED Peter Williams has developed a simple KPI form relating to numbers of calls handles, HOOFs received etc that suppliers will complete and return to him every day. Peter will circulate this to SHA leads each morning so that everyone is kept fully informed of current status. Please click here to see the form. FP10 CLARIFICATION In response to queries, this Bulletin clarifies advice in Bulletin 18 on the use of FP10s by GPs to provide cylinder oxygen for patients. GPs should continue to issue an FP10 prescription for cylinder oxygen until the patient has been contacted by the new supplier to arrange transfer to the new service arrangements. Until the supplier contacts the patient, the patient should be advised to request a repeat prescription where oxygen supplies need to be renewed. The supplier will inform the GP when he has contacted the patient and will confirm the date of transfer and that the required service is being delivered to the patient. As part of arrangements for transfer to the new service, the supplier will request the patient to contact the pharmacy to arrange return of pharmacy cylinders and headsets. HOOF COMPLETION We have asked all the suppliers for guidance on HOOF completion as this remains problematic. Most consistently reported are missing patient details (eg, no address or no contact telephone number) and missing PCT details. Please see the revised step-by-step guide to filling in the HOOF which has had input from all supply companies and, it is hoped, will make completing the form a simpler task for GPs. Click here. Please note that it is largely expected that GPs will be creating HOOFs for emergency and short burst oxygen therapy. Key documents HOOF (Home oxygen order form: Word version) HOCF (Home oxygen consent form: Word version) Second model letter for patients (to accompany supplier leaflet) The BTS Clinical Oxygen group has prepared a Home Oxygen Record Form The cylinder return poster Local communications guide Please click here for full details of your new regional oxygen supply company. Comprehensive FAQs can be found at PSNC news Drug Tariff letter to GPs Model Letter to GPs and pharmacists to accompany patient information leaflet Patient Data Collection Template Patient Data Collection Toolkit Model letter for patient consent to transfer data Key links British Thoracic Society clinical guidelines www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/c2/oads/oxygenserviceaug05.pdf British Lung Foundation www.lunguk.org Cystic Fibrosis Trust www.cftrust.org.uk Long Term Medical Conditions Alliance www.lmca.org.uk Guidance on DPA and consent www.doh.gov.uk/consent www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
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